1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cluster hose-pipe connector device capable of concurrently connecting hoses to respective pipes by simple and quick manipulation of the device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
For connecting a hose and a pipe to each other, there is known a connector which is connected at one end portion thereof to the hose and at the other end portion to the pipe. The hose is fixed to the connector with a suitable fastener such as a clamp or band disposed round the outer circumferential of the hose. The pipe is inserted at one end portion thereof into a pipe fitting hole formed through the above-indicated other end portion. As one type of this connector, there is widely used a connector which has at least one internal annular groove or recess open in the pipe filling hole, so that at least one annular protrusion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the corresponding end portion of the pipe is engageable with the annular groove or grooves of the connector when the end portion of the pipe is forced into the pipe fitting hole. Thus, the connector permits easy quick connection of the pipe to the hose connector, while preventing the removal of the pipe from the connector.
When two or more hoses are connected to respective pipes by using the conventional connectors, however, the procedure for the hose and pipe connection should be repeated for each of the individual sets of hoses and pipes one after another, and is accordingly cumbersome and time-consuming, leading to relatively low efficiency of the connecting operation. The connecting procedure is difficult particularly where the connection of the hoses and pipes should be achieved in a relatively narrow space working environment, as in the case of piping in an automotive vehicle, resulting in further reduction of the working efficiency and increased risk of erroneous or inadequate working and consequent failure to correctly connect the hoses and the pipes.